Testing morphological trait evolution and assessing species delimitations in the grape genus using a phylogenomic...

Area of Science:

• Botany
• Evolutionary Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• The grape genus (Vitis L.) holds significant agronomic and economic importance.
• Previous phylogenetic studies of subgenus Vitis have not fully resolved evolutionary patterns of morphological characters, particularly within the taxonomically complex V. bryoniifolia clade in East Asia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reconstruct a robust phylogenetic framework for the V. bryoniifolia clade using phylogenomics.
• To investigate the evolutionary patterns of morphological traits within this clade.
• To clarify the taxonomic status of taxa within the V. bryoniifolia clade.

Main Methods:

• Phylogenomic analysis using restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) data.
• Sampling of 89 accessions from the East Asian subgenus Vitis.
• Ancestral character state reconstruction to infer trait evolution.

Main Results:

• A robust phylogenetic framework for the V. bryoniifolia clade was established, supporting the monophyly of most taxa.
• Ancestral character state reconstructions indicated multiple independent evolutions of weak climbing ability and simplified tendrils in Vitis.
• The study provided insights into the taxonomic status of several taxa within the V. bryoniifolia clade.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a reliable phylogenomic framework for understanding grape evolution in the V. bryoniifolia clade.
• Morphological analyses coupled with phylogenomics help resolve taxonomic ambiguities within the grape genus.
• The findings contribute to a better understanding of trait evolution in Vitis.